March 20, 2014 — A new report from the Alzheimer's Association in the U.S. says the disease is a bigger women's health issue than breast cancer.
The study says once women hit their 60s, they are twice as likely to develop Alzheimer's than breast cancer. A woman's estimated rest-of-her-life risk of developing Alzheimer's at age 65, for example, is one in six.
Dr. Dean Hartley of the Alzheimer's Association says while there is no
advance detection or cure, people can reduce their risk for Alzheimer's.
He
says diabetes, heart disease and obesity can raise your chances, so
leading a healthy lifestyle is one way to possibly reduce the risk.
The
Alzheimer's Association report also points out there are two-and-a-half
times as many women than men providing intensive "on-duty" 24-hour care
for someone else living with Alzheimer's disease.
It says this
is placing an extra burden on working women because many are having to
reduce their working hours from full to part-time to manage the care.
Alzheimer's disease is the sixth leading cause of death in the U.S. and those numbers are expected to soar as baby boomers age.
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